Pride is Defiance

Having the worse looking yard in the neighborhood this morning and want to have the best
I was meditating about this, And, after praying about my pride. God spoke to me and said you are being defiant. Pride is defiance. I want what I want and not what God wants me to be glad I have a yard that I can make better.

C.S. Lewis basically said that pride is the root of all sin, and the Bible totally backs him up with a bunch of stories and verses. It keeps showing that proud folks are usually the ones going against what God wants. Every time the Israelites got a bit too cocky, trouble came knocking at their door.

Pride is like a the middle finger to God, and you can’t just let that slide. The Bible often talks about God dishing out punishment to those who are full of themselves. For example, in Isaiah, God says he’s gonna take down the arrogant king of Assyria: “When the Lord has finished all his work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, he will punish the speech of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria and the boastful look in his eyes” (Isaiah 10:12). Then there’s King Nebuchadnezzar from Babylon who got way too wrapped up in his own achievements and faced some serious consequences. He was all like, “Look at this amazing Babylon I built with my own power!” and then boom—he got turned into an animal until he learned his lesson (Daniel 4:20).
So, God’s not a fan of people who strut around with haughty eyes (check out Proverbs 6:16-17). He’s not into that proud vibe either. The Bible makes it clear that pride’s a big deal—like, it’s practically saying, “I don’t need God” (Psalm 10:4). And let’s be real, Jesus showed us how to be humble (Philippians 2:6-11). Plus, God has a way of knocking down those who think too highly of themselves (Isaiah 10:12, Daniel 4:20) but lifts up the humble folks (James 4:10).

So, why do Christians think pride is such a bad thing? I get it—sometimes it feels good to be proud of yourself for doing nice things like volunteering or helping out a neighbor. Does that mean you’re doomed to hell? Aren’t we always telling kids to have self-esteem?

Well, here’s the thing: “self-esteem” isn’t the same as “pride” in the Bible’s eyes. When groups like Focus on the Family talk about self-esteem, they’re usually focusing on kids and teenagers who’ve been through a lot—like abuse or bullying. It’s super important to remind them they matter to God and that they’re valuable just as they are. It’s not about puffing up egos; it’s about healing.

Now, when the Bible talks about pride leading to destruction (Proverbs 16:18), it’s more about arrogance. Think of it as a heads-up about that attitude where you think you can go solo and don’t need God. That’s the kind of pride that leads to all sorts of trouble. Remember when the devil tempted Eve in the Garden of Eden? He was like, “Eat this fruit, and you’ll be like God!” (Genesis 3:5). That’s the kind of mindset that gets us in hot water.

The devil’s the poster child for this whole pride thing. He tried to elevate himself above God and messed things up for everyone. And guess what? People went along with it—not because they were forced, but because they chose to follow that tempting path.

On the flip side, being humble isn’t about beating yourself up or thinking you’re worthless. It’s more about being chill and knowing where you fit in the grand scheme of things. It’s about doing your thing and fulfilling God’s purpose with energy and kindness, even when it’s tough. It’s putting others first instead of just focusing on yourself.

Hey there! Ya You we all have our pride, right? But it really starts to change when we put our trust in the humble Savior. Just own up to that pride, accept His forgiveness, and commit to living for His glory. Don’t be Defiant You got this!